The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-11-13
THE ART or ACTING COQUELIN
AND IRVING.

AND IRVING.
The presence Of Mr.. Henry Irving in
New York and the proposed visit 10 this
country Of NJ. Coquclin, the grcAifrcnch
comedian, has revived an inicr's; in the
tilt they recently tnok, one at the other,
initiated by paper by ColucIin which APP
pcard in llaTers Magazine for May, fol-
lowed by a criticism theDuPon hy Irving
which Appeared in the Nineteenth Century
Of June last, and the Uply Of VI. Coquclin
To that and 20 q paper 10y Dion Boucicault
which appeared in the North American
Review 81 August This reply OF VI.
Coquclin, together with an intro.
ductory by Mr.. Bnnjcr Matthews.
who has written great deal,
and written interestingly il not strongly
about Partisan theaters and Partisan aclors,
and a sketch Of VI. Coquelin. by Mrs. An
drew Lang, appears in the supplement Of
the current number Of lIarpcr's Weekly.
NJ. Coquelin, ON the whole, makes fair
criticism Of the English stage, many Of the
traditions Of which hamper the Amer.
can, and seems TO hive the al.
vantage Of Mr., Irving. The latter, ~ is
well known by those who have seen him
play, Is quite picturesque and poetic in his
treatment Of the characters lac essays, and
surrounds every one Of them with the
most snmptuous grpie-que or picturesque
acccrsoHe', 10 pbt Incident aud era, in
his Judgment will PERMIT. And
IN this lac has W far succeeded al.
mirably. Nothing can be more
sump,uous than his mounting Of Louis
Nl,' nothing mme wierdly picturesque
than the scenic effects Of The Bells, aud
II the London aud New York
critics are 10 he believed, moth.
ing more grotcsquc, ~ we'll ~ poetic,
than his mounting aud costuming Of
"faust" Mr. Irving believes that the
stage should summon the best efforts 81
every allied ART b. H. aid 10 realize ~ nearly
~ !, possible With substantial things the
visions and imagininrs Of the poet lie
does not wholly scout the fine effect Of
rralism; indeed, the most trying Of the
SCENES la The Bells Is the realisation Of
a dream, but be- insists that the conscience
of the poet shall be- consulted, aud that his
visions shall he bodied forth and made a.
rial ~, !. possible With material substances.
VI. Coquclin, while conics-cs to the trail.
tons OF the French ihca,cr, cites some cN.
nmplcs Of those Who were not restrained hy
their sometimes narrow aud arbitrary
limits Aud, by way oi contrast, hc
SAYS that u marked difference between
ihc English aud the French masters Of the
stage IL that the former indiyiduallc and
the latter gcncmllc. lie states his posi-.
ton, IN u word 10 hc naiumlncss ~ op.
posed Ia nniumlism. What will u man ~
woman do in -prrow or grief, or when sur.
pri-cd by an unexpected catastrophe, ter
nor OF dcnoument7 That l. what the actol
Is 10 do under similar circumstances o
dramatic cNingncy without any attempt
NJ poetic glamor, and without an,
counting of yAgucncSs bordering ON incon
sistcncy. The French, above all things
reach attcr nature in their cNpc-itions upon
the stage; the English, on the contrary
strain for originality, even 10 the point o
ccccntrci'y. Something OF this Is seen II
Mr. Irving's oNn work. Besides his man
ncrisins, lie is characterized by many
freaks and antics. but Il must he said tina
lis chamcicri1tions are, In most points
marvellous Tor their closcncss 10 nature
and that. judging what lac does by all tina
! lac does rather than 10y part OF 10y Ne
, points, lac Is grrat- the greatest actor with
. In his selected limit Of the drama on IN
. English-spcaking stage. NJ. Coquclin II
illustrates the difference lac thus marks be
!. tween the English aud the French 10y IN
1 characters Of Shakespeare, all Of then
3 individuals, profoundly human, but never
: thclcss exceptional aud he admits tia
l perhaps that Is excellent In drama, bu
b that comedy confined 10 ''tho logic Of ia
= characters contents itself with the cours